Dishwasher



July 29, 1969 w. c. BARNARD ET AL 3,458,241

1)I SHWASHER Filed Oct. l8,' 1967 INVENTORS WALTER C. BARNARD I KENN ITH E. BURKINSHAW BY lag/M K. MM, Jamm' 4-" 7146 44.

AT TO RNEYS United States Patent ()fihce 3,458,241 Patented July 29, 1969 3,458,241 DISHWASHER Walter C. Barnard, White Bear Lake, and Kennith E.

Burkinshaw, West St. Paul, Minn., assignors to Whirlpool Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 18, 1967, Ser. No. 676,341

Int. Cl. A47b 77/06; E03c 1/18; A47l 19/02 U.S. Cl. 312228 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A liquid seal and vibration isolating structure for a dishwasher in which a tub for receiving the dishes and washing liquid therefor has a tub access opening with tub flange means at the opening, a casing enclosing the tub having a casing access opening with casing flange means therearound and adjacent the tub flange means, a resilient vibration isolating seal means between these two flange means and yieldable urging means such as a spring urging the tub and casing flange means toward each other with the seal means therebetween.

The ordinary dishwasher is provided with a tub for receiving the dishes and a washing liquid during the washing operation, and with a motor driven liquid circulating apparatus including a pump mounted on the bottom of the tub. The dishwasher also includes a casing surrounding the tub with both the casing and the tub having aligned access openings for access to the interior of the tub and with these openings being closed during the washing operation with a movable cover.

The invention here provides a resilient vibration isolating seal means between the tub and the casing so that not only are they sealed against liquid penetration but the seal means serves to isolate the tub from the casing so as to greatly reduce external noise and vibration in the dishwasher.

Further, the invention provides a cover gasketing and sealing means in the tub access opening at a point between the tub interior and the tub and casing sealing means and which is integrated therewith.

The invention will be described as disclosed in the embodiments of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a foreshortened view partially in side elevation and partially in vertical section of a dishwasher embodying the invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a seal means used in the embodiment of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 but disclosing an alternate embodiment of the seal means.

The dishwasher in FIGURE 1 includes an internal tub for receiving dishes (not shown) in top rack 11 and bottom rack 12. The bottom of the tub 10 is provided with the usual pump 13 for collecting washing liquid and the bottom of the sump is provided with the usual electric motor driven circulating pump (not shown) attached thereto. The tub 10 is enclosed within an outer casing 14.

The dishwasher of FIGURE 1 is of the ordinary top opening type provided with an upper cover 15 that has a flat work surface 16. During the washing operation the cover 15 extends across aligned openings in both the tub 10 and casing 14. The access opening in the tub 10 is defined by an outwardly extending flange means 17 while the access opening to the casing 14 is defined by an inwardly extending flange 18 located below the flange 17.

In order to isolate the tub 10 from the casing 14 there is provided a resilient vibration isolating seal means 19 shown in enlarged detail in FIGURE 2. This seal means 19 is provided with a molded edge 20 having a recess 21 therein to receive and tightly grasp the tub flange 17 shown in FIGURE 1. This means that the molded edge 20 has a bottom gasket part 22 located between the flanges 17 and '18 so as to absorb vibration and to provide a water tight seal. From the molded edge 20 of the seal 19 there is a generally vertical downwardly extending part 23 which terminates on its lower edge in a hollow bead 24. This bead as shown in FIGURE 1 is adapted to rest against a sealing ledge 25 that in the embodiment of FIGURE 1 is shaped as an inwardly directed shelf beneath the cover 15.

The lid or cover 15 includes not only the top work surface 16 but an inner lid 26 with an edge rim 27 that bears sealingly against the bead 24 as shown in FIGURE 1 when the lid 15 is closed.

While the weight of the tub, washing liquid, dishes and dishracks, and liquid recirculating apparatus is normally adequate to hold securely the assembly of tub 10, casing 14 and seal 19 in sealing and vibration isolating engagement, there are provided a plurality of spaced yieldable urging means 28 urging the tub and casing flange means 17 and 18 toward each other with the sealing gasket 22 there'between. In the disclosed embodiment this urging means 28 comprises a plurality, here four, of tension springs spaced equally around the tub 10 with each extending generally vertically with the upper end attached to a strap 29 at the bottom of the tub 10 and the lower end attached at 30 to the casing. The springs 28 continually urge the tub in a downward direction to squeeze the gasket 22 between the flanges 17 and 18 and properly position the tub within the casing. Thus the combination of the weight of the tub and other items, the springs 28 and the gasket part 22, isolates noise and vibration normally set up in the tub 10 by the washing operation from the external casing or cabinet 14.

At the same time the bead part 24 of the seal 19 seals the bottom part of the lid to the tub to prevent escape of liquid and isolates the lid from the noise and vibration set up in the tub.

In the preferred embodiment, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the gasket head 24 is located inwardly of the molded edge 20 that seals the tub to the casing. The reason for this is so that water splashed within the tub by the washing operation will be stopped by the gasket bead part 24 before it can reach the outer molded edge 20 of the seal. In fact, ordinarily all of the water will be stopped at this inner bead part 24 and will not even appear at the molded edge 20.

FIGURE 3 illustrates a second embodiment of the seal. In this embodiment there is the same molded edge 20 and bottom gasket part 22 in combination with the tub flange receiving recess 21. However, the inner lid sealing section of the seal 19 is provided with a thickened flange part 31 adapted to be located on the tub ledge 25 and an intermediate outwardly extending resilient flange 32 that is adapted to have a wiping sealing action on the outer surface 33 of the inner lid 26 when the lid is closed.

Having described our invention as related to the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, it is our intention that the invention be not limited by any of the details of description.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. Liquid seal and vibration isolating structure for a dishwasher, comprising: a tub subjected to vibration when in use for receiving the dishes and washing liquid therefor having a tub access opening with tub flange means; an enclosing casing for said tub having a casing access opening with casing flange means adjacent said tub flange means; and a resilient vibration isolating seal means between said tub flange means and easing flange means for isolating said tub vibrations from said casing, said tub 3 and easing flange means being adjacent each other with said seal means therebetween.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein there are provided yieldable urging means for urging said tub flange means toward said casing flange means with said seal means compressed therebetween.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein said tub is within said casing, said tub flange means is outwardly of said casing flange means, and said yieldable means urges said tub inwardly of said casing access opening.

4. The structure of claim 3 wherein said yieldable means extends between said tub and easing.

5. The structure of claim 1 wherein there are provided a cover for both said tub opening and said casing opening movable between open and closed positions, and gasket means integral with said seal means sealing said cover to said tub when said cover is in said closed position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,070,852 1/ 1963 Hilliker. 3,169,540 2/1965 Moore et a1. 312-296 X 3,169,541 2/1965 Cushing 312296 X CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

